Method of cleansing heavy woolen fabrics, etc.



METHOD OF CLEANSING HEAVY WOOLEN FABRICS, ETC

FiledJuly 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO w/ TN E55 WW April 30, 1929. 1 G. WOELFEL 1,711,162

METHOD OF CLEANSING HEAVY WOOLEN FABRICS, ETC

Filed July 11, 1927 2 Sheets- Sheet Patented 'Apr. 30, 1929;

UNITED STATES GEORGE WOELFEL, OF YERKES, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD on CLEANSING HEAVY woonnnwnnnrcs, ETC.

Application filed July 11,

I have found that if one attempts to remove from a woolen fabric, such as a blanket, d rt or soil by theuse of attrition or rubbing 1n the presence of soapy water, the adhesion of sequent shrinking of the fabricwhich is of a course very undesirable.

I have further discovered, in the cleaning of heavy woolen goods, thatif the goods be subjected to a very strong soap solution, which is practically a liquid soap, such soap quickly breaks down the adhesion of the dirt to the fibers, and that the dirt having been thus loosened, does not become re-attached to the fibers, so long as the solid matter and the fibers are both covered with slippery soap. Thesolid matter so freed appears to be held or retained in suspension in the soap, and when the soapy.

fabric is rinsed of the soap, then the solid matter or dirt is carried or floated away in the soap, leaving the fabric extremely clean. I have, therefore, developed amethod of cleansing blankets and similar fabrics in a manner which completely eliminates all 'vigorous or violent rubbing and agitating of the goods, in which the goods are subjected to substantially no attrition, and in'which the goods are not felted or shrunken at all, nor stretched and with the result that the washed goods are substantially as large, clean, soft, light and fluffy as they were when new.

It is the obiect of mv invention to so cleanse blankets and other heavy woolen goods in such a way as to accomplish all the desirable eflects above noted. Further objects of my invention are to effect a substantial saving in the amount of" steam required to heat the baths; inthe amount of water consumed; and in the amount of soap actually used; and to greatly shorten the time within which heavy woolengoodsmay be thoroughly cleaned.

' ()ther objects of my invention will appear in the specification and claims below.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specificatidn and in which the same 1927. Serial No. 204,708.

referencev characters are employed throughout the various views to designate the same parts,

1 is an end elevational view of a washing machine of a type readily obtainable on the market, modified andj/made suitable for use in connection with my improved process and equipped with my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a similar end elevational view of a second similar washing machine, but somewhat modified, and arranged to cooperate with the washing machine shown in Fig. 1, in the practice of my improved process. I

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig.4 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan View; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, on an.

enlarged scale, particularly. showing the mechanism whereby the excess of soap may be removed from the goods treated inthe machine shown in Fig. 1 and whereby. the excess soap is returned to the main bath or body of liquid soap.

In order that my invention may be more, readily and easily understood, and the differences between my process and those hereto-- fore practiced for cleaning of heavy woolen goods made clear, I will briefly describe the manner in which blankets and similar fabrics have been heretofore washed and cleansed.

Usually, a single hydraulic washing machine having a perforated cylinder adapted to be rotated a few turns in one direction and ber of blankets which may have been placed The machine is'generin. the inner cylinder.

ally filled with this soapy ,atcr to a level somewhat below the center or axis of the in-' ne'r cylinder, the outer casing is closed and the inner cylinder is revolved rather rapidly, first in one direction and then .in the other. Projecting inwardly from the inner surface of the inner perforated cylinder are usually ledges or bars on which the blankets are,

caught and by which they are turned and subjected toconsiderabl'e friction due to the forcing of the soapy water through the goods by centrifugal force. After the blankets have thus been thoroughly agitated in the washing machine for a period which is often 30 or minutes, the soapy water is run off to waste and the same machine is refilled with successive rinses of warm and cold water and agitated vigorously to remove the soapy water from the blanket.

In the process last above described, the loosening of the dirt from the fibers is attempted to be effected by the rubbing of the fibers-over each other and on the strips or ledges on the inside of the inner cylinder, and by the rubbing, turning, twisting and sliding of the goods in the presence of soapy water.

But by the practice of this old process, the

attrition or rubbing to which the blankets are so subjected is great, with the resultthat the vblankets so treated are greatly shrunken due to the felting of the fibers.

With this brief outline of the old process as I know it, the novel features of my improved I process will be the more apparent. In carrying out my invention, I preferably use two bydraulic washing machines which may be of a substantially conventional type of construction,- and I substantially half fill the cylindrical washing machine A with a warm liquid soap, preferably containing additional alkali,

such as Washing soda.

The hydraulic washing machine. A which I more correctly term a soaping machine, preferably comprises an inner perforated or foraminous cylinder 1 journaled coaxially within an outer cylinder 01' casing 2 the ends of which are closed by heads 1f1. In general, the machine is of the commercial type above described as used in the old processes of washing, but I prefer to divide the inner cylinder 1 into two like compartments 3 and 4; respectively by a perforated partition 5, extending diametrically across and for the full length of the rotating cylinder 1, and I pro- .vide the periphery of the inner cylinder 1 with a suitable door or closure 6 giving access to bot-h of the compartments (3 and 4:) in the inner cylinder 1 and formed by the said partition 5. In each compartment I preferably place a pair of-blankets, making in all two pairs of blankets to be treated at once in the machine. The cylinder 1 is then rotated at a ratherslow speed for the short time of one and a half (1 to two (2) minutes, for that is all the time required to thoroughly fill the blankets with the liquid soap; the operation of the cylinder is then stopped, the soap filled blankets are removed and placed on a support;two more pairs are similarly placed in the cylinder 1 and similarly gently soaped for a minute and a half or two minutes; the machine is then stopped and the soaped blankets are 4 removed. This soaping of the soiled oods for a, veryfzbrief-time constitutes the rst step of my improved process.

In carrying out this first step of my process, the quantity of the soap used is several times greater than that which is used to make the soapy water described above as the first or washing step of the old process, and the strength of the soap is two or three times stronger than that required in practicing the old process above described. I prepare the soap for the soap bath by boiling a good quality of tallow soap in vater, the proportions being substantially live (5) pounds of the soap to substantially fifty (50) gallons of water. An alkaline test of the. soap so produced will show substantially 2% alkali Be.

In practice, I have found that in the treatment of a pair of blankets in the strong liquid soap at a temperature of substantially 105 F. for one minute and a half or two minutes if the soil is not loosened from the fibers within this short time, the dirt or stain can not be removed thereby even if allowed to stay therein a longer period. I A The first step of my improved process is not a washing step as practiced in the old process. It is a soaping step, by which woolen goods are thoroughly filled with liquid soap. This strong liquid soap dissolves the adhesive substances by means of which the solid particles of dirt are attached to the fibers. When these solid particles are once detached, they are held in suspension in the liquid soap and if the soap containing these particles of dirt be thereafter passed back and forth through the soaped fabric these particles will not adhere again to the slippery fibers but will be held in the soap and will float out of the fabric as the soap-is removed from the fabric.

Because the perforated partition 5 merely divides the rotating cylinder 1 into two compartments, the fibers of the goods are not subjected to any substantial attrition or agitation or rubbing action during the rotation of the cylinder. The blankets do not fill completely the compartment. They slowly and easily slide as the partition tilts in rotating with the cylinder but they are not pulled or substantially squeezed, twisted or rubbed by such rotation. The substantial action to which they are subjected is one of alternatclyl gently dipping or immersing the blankets in 115 and moving them through warm liquid soap, then just as gently lifting then out of the soap and allowing the soapy solution to run out of them back into the bath through which the blankets have passed, with the result that the wool fibers of the blankets are thoroughly covered with slippery undecomposed liquid soap. which prevents the re-adhesion thereto of the dirt, held 'insuspension in the soap. The fibers are not rubbed over "each v other. There is no matting .or felting of the' fibers and consequently no shrinkage of the goods. a

The next step of my improved process is that of removing the blankets from the soap- 4 11 of the tank.

4 of the inner cylinder 1. The operator with his hands proceeds to draw out of the compartment 3 an. end of onepair of blankets. 1 therefore provide the soaping machine A with a trough-like structure 9 mounted on the outside-of the outer casing or cylinder 2 and having the top edges thereof substantially in the horizontal plane of the lower edge 8 of the opening 8 through the outer cylinder 2. This trough-like structure 9 projects outwardly from the surface of the cylinder 2 only a few inches and is of a depth sufficient within which to mount a long roller 10, approximately two inches and a half in diameter, and terminating at each end rather close to the inner sides of the side walls 1.1, The roller 10 should be a little longer than the length of the opening 12 in the inner rotatable cylinder 1 and through which the goods are drawn outwardly. This roller 10 is preferably mounted on a shaft 13, the ends of which are journaled in hearings or boxes 14, 14 and freely rotates in said bearings. The highest point in the periphery of the lower roller 10 is preferably at or about the level of the top edge of the trough 9; Above this roller 10, 1 preferably.

mount a second roller 15 of substantially the same diameter as the roller [10 and in such a way as to be readily movable substantially vertically toward and away from the lower roller 10. To do this, I mount on the upper edges of the side walls 11, 11 of the tank 9 a bracket 16, one on each wall, said bracket comprising a journal bearing 17 in which rotates the shaft 18 on which the upper roller 15 is rigidly mounted to turn therewith. From the bearing portion 17, the bracket 16 extends outwardly away from the cylinder 2 ofthe soaping machine A. This bracket 16 is preferably strong and stiff and is preferably provided with marginal ribs or flanges 19 extending upwardly from the edges thereof throughout the entire length of the bracket. The front end 16' of said bracket 16 is arranged to normally rest on the upper edge of the side wall 11 and near the end 16 the bracket is provided with a hole 20, elongated in the direction of the length of the bracket, through which passes a screw 21 rigidly attached to -the side wall 11. Preferably, the head 22 of this screw is flattened or elongated so that the long dimension thereof is greater than the width of the space between the ribs or flanges 19 but the short dimension is less than the distance between the ribs 19 of the bracket, so that when the long dimension of the head 22 is lengthwise of. the bracket arm, the front end 16 of the bracket 16 is rather loosely attached to the trough 9 and may be lifted vertically a distance substantially equal to the height of the ribs 19. Between the elongated opening 20 last above described and the journal hearing 17 for the movable roller 15, the bracket 16 is provided with another hole 23 ada ted to receive the upper threaded end 24 o a rod 25. After the upper end of the rod has been pushed through the hole 23, a-washer 26 may he slipped over the rod and thena nut 27 may be threaded over the upper end 24 as is clearly shown in Fig. 6. These rods 25,

for there are two of them, one on ,each side of the machine, one for each bracket 16, pass through holes 28 extending substantially vertically through the side walls 11, 11 of the trough 9 respectively. These'holcs are preferably elongated in a direction toward and away from the cylinder 2 and the smaller dimension thereof should be a little larger than the diameterof the rods 25 throughout the lower portion of the hole 28. The upper ends 28' may also be elongated, but they are of larger diameter to provide a shoulder 29 in the hole for seating the lower end of? a stiff spiral spring 30 and the washer 30 and toprovide a space above said shoulder for the reception of said spring 30. The elongation of the hole 28 is to permit of the slight back and forth travel of the rods 25, due to the arcuate path of the movementof the roller 15. The spiral springs 30 each surround a rod 25 respectively and their upper ends press upwardly against the under surface 'of the brackets 16", thus normally holding the journals 17 of the brackets 16 and the roller .15 carried thereby in their uppermost positions with the upper surface of the bracket 16 pressed against the underside of the washer 26 and nut 27. The front end 16' of the bracket 16, is thus normally held against the upper edge of the side wall 11 of the trough 9. These substantially vertical rods 25 pass loosely through the said openings 28 in the side walls 11 and extend downwardly to a point a little above the floor when they are connected together as by a stiff transverse bar 31 which may be integral with the rods 25. This transverse bar- 31 is preferably rotatably secured to the underside of a pedal 32 as by staples 33. The pedal 32extends outwardly to a position where the free end thereof is accessible to the operator, standing in front of the trough 9, and the rear end of the pedal is suitably pivotally or 'hingedlyconnected to some rigid support 1. Since it is necessary for the operator L0 have free access to both sides of the roller,

1 may arrangethe belt 37 to run downwardly from the pulley 36 to leave a clear space be- ,t'weeen the rollers 10, 15 and the outer cylin. der 2 and a clear space above the roller 15.'

I have, therefore, shown the belt 37 as run ning under idlers 39 mounted on the side of the outer casing 2 of the soaping machine A. It is to be understood, however, that any suitable mechanism may be employed for imparting to the lower roller 10 a continuous motion in adirection to make the upper surface of the said roller 15 travel away from the opening 8 in the outer casing 2 of the.

soaping machine A.' This roller mechanism last above described, constitutes a mechanlsm whereby to assist the operator in withdraw-- ing the heavy slippery soap-filled goods from the interior of the soaping machine A and this mechanism provides at the same time a means to remove from the goods any excess of liquid soap which is not needed in the next or subsequent step in my process. In the practice of my invention, only the soap which not subsequently needed in the next step of the process is extracted from the goods. Enough is left in the goods to keep whatever dirt remains in the goods in sus pension in the liquid soap.

To remove the goods from the rotary cylinder 1, the operator first finds an end or a part which he can grasp despite the slippery condition of the goods, and he draws that f part outwardly between the normally separated rollers 10, 15. He now presses on the pedal 32 thus bringing the upper fluted roller 15 down against the upper surface of the goods now between the rollers 10, 15, but he continues to manually draw the goods which are now in front of the rollers 10, 15. The lower roller 15 being slowly driven by the motor 35 is a direction tohelp draw the goods 'cut of the soaping machine A and the upper roller 10 being but a prcsser roller, the operator may readily vary the pressure of his foot on the pedal 32 to permit of the application .of only as much mechanical assistance as he needs to gently draw the goods out of the soaping machine. As the goods come out of the machine in varying thicknesses, depending upon the way in which theymay lie in the machine, the operator, by varying the position of his foot, may permit the upper roller to rise and fall tofollow the upper surface of goods passing between the rollers without jamming the mechanism or breaking the roller, or substantially squeezing the goods. It will now beappa'rent that the rollers 10,15 are substantially longer than the length of the opening 12 in the rotary cylinder 1, in order to insure that the goods shall always be between the rollers and not be caught and wrapped around the ends of the rollers, for this would tear, stretch and possibly ruin the goods. It is for this purpose and as a matter ofprecaution, that I preferably mount a pair of guard or protector plates 40 between the ends of the rollers and the inner sides of the side walls 11 of the trough 9. These guards are provided with a pair of alined slots 41, 42, the lower slot;41 being adapted to be passed over the lower shaft 13 and the upper slot 42 being. adapted to receive the upper shaft 18'. The upper slot 42 is considerably longer than the lower slot to permit the upper shaft 13 to-rise and fall, as adjusted by the foot of the operator, without rising'out of the slot'42. In other words,

the upper slot 42 is of a length greater'than the vertical travel on the uppershaft 13 as raised and'lowered by the foot pedal and spring. The forward edges of each plate 40, that is to say, the edges nearest the cylinder of the soaping machine A, are preferably provided with inwardly extenging flanges 43 to guide and hold the goods way from the ends of the rollers 10, 15.

' This smooth driven lower roller 10 does not exert great tractive force upon the blankets passing between the rollers, and, therefore cannot pull and tear or stretch the blanket passing thereover; If the blankets are compressed too hard between the rollers, the lower roller will slip and not injure the blankets. If too light a pressure is exerted between the rollers, a similar slip will occur.

The rollers are, therefore, merely of some assistance to the operator in manually pulling the blankets out of the soaping machine, but the operator must manually draw the blankets between the rollers in order to pass them between the rollers and the function of the rollers is rather that of doctor or scraper rollers to remove excess soap than of. traction or wringer rollers.

In passing between these rollers 10, 15., a substantial quantity of the liquid soap is expressed from the goods and falls into the trough 9 and. thence it passes through the opening44 at thebot'tom of the trough 9 back into the bath of soap within the outer cylinder 2 of the machine A. At substantial and sufficient amount of soap is left in the blankets for the removal of the dirt from the blankets during the next or subsequcnt'trcatment of the blankets.

The goods thus treated are transferred to the rotary cylinder of a second machine B in which the treatment is substantially a repeatedrinsing of the blanket as that term is ordinarily used. This repeated rinsing, however, omits any substantial rubbing or violent agitation, for in the practice of my'invention the goods are subjected to the slightest attrition possible, the action of the machine being rather in the nature of a true gentle rinsing than a washing.

to the ends, and thus making four equal compartments. Since in other respects in this second machine B the parts used may be substantially identical with the corresponding parts of the soaping machine A, I have given them the same reference characters in so 'far as it becomes necessary to refer tothe construction of the second machine.

The second machine B is preferably provided with a bath of water at a temperature of substantially 105 F. and after the goods have been placed in the inner cylinder 1, and the cylinder is'closed and slowly rotated as the soaping machine A was rotated, it is operative to successively dip and lift'the blankets into and out of the warm water bath. This action is continued until the bath becomes quite soapy orfoamy. As a result of this treatment, the soap contained in the blankets so treated becomes dissolved in the water which continually passes into and out of and through the blankets. The solid particles of dirt are still held insuspensionin the soapy water and float into and out of the blankets with the soapy water but do not be come re-attached to the fibers. This may be because of the lack of a suitable adhesive by means of which dirt sticks to the fibers. After having thus been washed and rinsed by repeatedly immersing and lifting the goods into and out of the warm water, this bath is drawn off to waste in any suitable manner as by opening the valve 45 and when the machine B is nearly empty, it is quickly refilled with cold water at a temperature of from 50 to 80 F., by closing'the valve 45 and opening the valve 46. The cylinder 1 of machine B is continuously revolvedwhile the water iv being changed and the goods are rinsed in this cold water until the water becomes slightly milky. Most of the soap has been carried out of the goods by the previous treatment in warm water and almost all that remains is now removed out of the blanket by the continued rotation of the inner cylinder 1 of the second machine B andthe dipping and re-dipping of the goods into this cold water bath. This first cold bath will become milky, whereupon it is nearly all drawn off to Waste by opening valve 45 andthe casing is refilled with a second cold water bath from valve 46, the cylinder 1 being preferably rotated continuously while the water is being changed.

I may state here that both machines A and B are preferably provided with a live steam pipe 47. In the first machine it is for the purpose ofmaintaining the bath of liquid soap at a temperature of substantially 150 F. In the second machine, it is for the purpose of heating the water supplied thereto from time to time as may be necessary. The admission of steam to'the pipes may be controlled by the valves 48. After the second machine has thus been filled for the second time with cold water, and the machine operated to give the goods a final rinse and the goods. are removed from the machine, the washing by my process is complete. The temperature of the water now remaining in the machine B is now raised to substantially 105 F., which the goods were placed after leaving the soaping machine, by openin the steam valve 48 of machine B. When t e tempera ture of the second cold water bath has'so been raised to said temperature, the machine B is read to receive the next batch of four pairs of blankets or other goods from the first machine A. There will be a trace of soap in the now warm bath, due to leaving a little of the first cold bath water in the machine, and this is forgiving a little softness to the warm bath.

From time to time and preferably after each cycle of operation of machine A,.a little fresh liquid soap, may be added to the bath in the soaping machine A, but only enough which is that of the first bath into to compensate for the loss to the soap bath of the soap which is carried in the blankets over into the second machine B. In practicing my invention, I find that although I use actually a very much larger quantity of soap continually in process,'and although the soap is much stronger thanthat used in the ordinary cleaning of woolen goods, the actual quantity of soap which is used up or consumed in the cleaning or cleansing of a pair of blankets is considerably less than that consumed in the processes previously employed for the purpose. In the practice of my.

process, the soap in the soaping machine may be used over and over. again, except that from time to time the necessary small quantities of fresh'soap are added to compensate for that which is actually. used and lost. As a matter of fact, I have found that the soap in the soaping machine may be thus conr more fluffy, softer, washed goods than anything obtainable by the practice of old Except for this processes heretofore used, and moreover,

effects a'substantial saving in the amount of water used and in the amount of steam 7 the soap does not injure them, nor cause them considerably longer than in machine A.

' on a stand or support.

to shrink, so longas they are not subjected to attrltion.

, The blankets and other heavy woolen goods treated by my process do not shrink at all. They are of substantially the size that they were before treatment for there is no step in my process whereby the fibers are subjected to substantial attrition or rubbing sufficiently to cause the fibers to move with respect to each other and consequently to felt. The absence of felting'in fabrics treated by my process, I also attribute in part to the short time that the goods are gently agitated in the liquid soap. By@ the practice of my process, heavy woolen goods may be made cleaner, lighter and softer and at less expense than when they are cleaned by the old process and with it all, the goods are not perceptibly reduced in size or-shrunken or felted, and'the colors are brighter. I

It is'to be noted that in the practice of my process, as above described, the soaping machine A need not be kept continuously operating, and that a single operator can readily carry out the process continually, since the treatment in.the machine B will Fe 0 indicate more particularly what is meant by this, a complete cycle -of operations by the operator would be as follows: He would put two pairs of blankets in the soaping machine A and soap them for a minute and a half or two minutes, after which he would withdraw them from the soaping machine, placin them He would then insert two more pairs of blankets and soap them for the same length of time in machine A and while thissecond soaping operation is being carried on, he would put the first two pairs of blankets into machine B. By the time this was done, two pairs of blankets would have been properly treated in machine A,

whereupon he would stop the soaping machine and withdraw these blankets-and put them into the remaining two compartments in machine B. Thereafter, machine A would be idle while the goods were being subjected in machine B to the various rinsings above described. When the treatment of the four pairs of blankets in machine B has been comleted and while the last cold water bath is eing heated to make the firstbath for the next blankets, the operator will then start the soaping machine A to begin the treatment as in the previous case of four pairs of blankets so that by the time the cold water bath h'as'been raised to the required temperature in machine B, the first two pairs ofblankets tinuously drivmg or rotating the roller at a suitable speed may be employed. I have further shown the shaft 49 upon which the inner cylinder 1 is mounted to rotate as being driven by a set of pulleys 50, two tight and the middle one loose,

tated in either direction. This means for so rotating the shaft 49 is merely to indicate by way of example, how the cylinder 1 moves, but it is to be understood thatthe cylinder may be rotated by any suitable vmechanism which will rotate the cylinder 1 at a relatively slow speed which will not particularly agitat 0r rub the woolen goods during treatment in} the machine, which will not violently force the soap or water through the goods by censo that by shifting a straight and a crossed belt thecylinder 1 may be 1'0- trifugal force, and which will operate to gently submerge the goods ina bath of liquid soap or water, and as gently lift them out of the baths to permit the liquid soap and the water to thoroughly permeate the goods and float the dirt out of the goods suspended in the soap. 1

Nor do I have to vary my soap bath in the days run of work to adapt it to the varying degrees to which the goods received fromdifferent sources, are soiled.

' this fac- In practicing my process, however,

tor does not have to be considered. The same strong'soapbath is used on goods soiled to different degrees and all the goods treated are cleaned perfectly irrespective of their different condition of soil.-

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of cleaning heavy woolen goods, such as blankets, sweaters and the like,

which consists in alternately slowly dipping and lifting said goods into and out of a bath of strong liquid soap, without rubbing or attrition or felting the fibers, to loosen the particles of dirt from the fibers and to suspend them in the soap, then drawing said goods from said soap bath and expressing some of the soapftherefrom but leaving inthe goods a substantial amount of wet unde composed soap to hold in suspension the dirt loosened from the fibers but held in the goods, placingthe goods sov containing liquid soap into a bath of warm water and alternately dipping the goods into and lifting them out of said water untilsaid water becomes foamy ,130

andsoapy, from the accumulation therein of the soap .brought over into the warm water bath with the goods, the dirt held in suspension in the soap being floated with the soap out of the goods into said soapy water bath and held in suspension therein, then replacing said bath with a bath of cold water, and continning the dipping of the goods into and soaped' goods next coming from said soap lifting them out of said cold water bath without attrition, drawing off said water and replacing it with a second cold water bath, and continually repeatedly immersing and lifting the goodsinto and out of said second cold bath without attrition, and then removing the goods from said second cold bath.

2. Themethod of continuously cleaning successive lots or batches of heavy woolen goods, such as blankets, sweaters and the like,

which consists in alternatelydipping and lift- I ing a lot of said goodsinto and out of a bath of strong liquid soap over a period of substantially two minutes, without rubbing or felting the fibers, thereby to loosen all the dirt removable from the fibers and to suspend it in the soap, then drawing said lot of goods from said soap bath and simultaneously expressing the excess of the soap therefrom and returning said soap to the soap bath but leaving in the goods a substantial amount of wet soap to hold in suspension the dirt now loosened from the fibers, placing the lot of goods so containing liquid soap into a bath of clean warm water and alternately dipping the goods into and lifting them out of said water until said Water becomes foamy and soapy from the accumulation therein of the soap brought over into the warm water bath with the goods, the dirt' held in suspension in the soap being carried with the soap into said soapy water bath and held in suspension therein, then replacing said bath with a bath of cold water, and again dipping said lot into and lifting them out of said cold Water bath without attrition, drawing off said bath and replacing it with a second cold water bath, and repeatedly immersing and lifting said lot of goods into and out of said second cold bath without attrition,then removing the goods from said second cold bath, then heating said second cold bath to the temperature of the said Warm water bath, and rising therein, without attrition, the lot of bath. 0

3. The method of continuously cleaning successive lots or batches 'of'heavy woolen goods,such as blankets, sweaters and the like, which consists in alternately dipping and lifting a lot of the goods respectively into and out of a bath of str'ong liquid soap over a period of from one to two minutes, without attrition or felting of the fibers thereof, to loosen the dirt froifin the fibers and to hold it in suspension in th'e'. soap, then removing the said lot of goods from the said soap bath and removing from the goods without substantial attrition the excess of soap and leaving the goods and the fibers thereof wet and slippery with soap containing the 'said dirt in suspension, and returning said excess soap to'the original soap bath, then placing the said lot of goods containing the liquid soap into a second bath composed of warm water and alternately dipping the said lot of goods into and lifting them out of said water until said water becomes foamy and soapy from the accumulation therein of the soap brought over into the warm water bath with the goods, the dirt held in suspension in the soap being carried with the soap into said soapy water bath and held in suspension therein, then replacing said bath with a bath of cold water, and again dipping said lot of goods into and lifting it out of said cold water bath without attrition, then replacing said bath of cold water with a second cold water bath, and repeatedly immersing and lifting the said lot of goods into and out of said second cold bath without attrition, then removing said lot from said second cold bath, then heating said second cold bath to the temperature of the said warm water bath, and treating therein as the said first lot was treated, the lot of goods next coming from said soap bath, and adding substantially as much fresh liquid soap to the first soapbath as was carried away therefrom in the lot of goods last previously treated therein.

4. The method of cleaning heavy woolen goods, such as blankets, sweaters and the like, Which consists in repeatedly immersing said goods in and lifting them from a bath of strong liquid soap for about two minutes, without rubbing the goods or felting the fibers thereof, to loosen the adhesion of the dirt to the fibers of said goods and to cover the fibers and fill the fabric with a slippery soap in which the dirt loosened from the fibers will remain in suspension and then repeatedly rinsing said goods without substantial attrition, first in a bath of Warm water and then in successive baths of cold water to remove said soap from the goods and with it the dirt held in suspension in the "oap. (i

5. The process of cleaning heavy woolen goods, such as blankets, sweaters and the like, which consists in alternately immersing said goods in a bath of liquid soap and washing soda, and then lifting the goods out of said soap, said immersing and lifting beinto a bath of warm water, and gently moving them into and out of said warm water bath, without attrition until the greater part of the soap and the dirt has been removed from the goods and then repeating said dipping and lifting operation in a fresh bath of cold water to rinse all traces of soap and dirt out of said goods. I

6. The process of cleaning heavy woolen goods, such as blankets, sweaters and the like, which consists in alternately immersing said goods in a bath of liquid soap and washing soda, and then lifting the goods out of said bath, said immersing and lifting being continued over a period of from one to two minutes to fill the fabric with liquid soap and to thoroughly coat the fibers thereof therewith and to loosen the dirt adhering to said fibers and suspend it in said soap, and then removing said goods from said soap bath, removing the excess of said soap and leaving a substantial amount of liquid soap within the goods covering the fibers thereof, then alternately repeatedly immersing said soap-filled goods in a bath of warm water, and lifting them out of said warm 'water,

without attrition until the greater part of the soap and the dirt has been removed from the goods, and then repeating saiddipto two minutes, then removin'gsaid goodsfrom said soap bath and placing them in a bath of warm water and alternately dipping said goods into and lifting them out of said bath without attrition or rubbing or felting of the fibers, to fioat out of the goods with the soap the solid particles of dirt held in suspension in the soap, replacing said warm water with successive baths of cold' water, and repeating said immersing and lifting operation and without attrition.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of July, 1927. 4

' GEORGE WOELFEL; 

